


Cadillacs and Rust

by MoonStreet



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Amnesia, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assisted Suicide, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Blood, Brief mentions of Depression, Euthanasia, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Found Family, Happy Ending, Marital Troubles, Maz with a shotgun, Memory Loss, Rey (Star Wars) is a Mess, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey is a Palpatine (Star Wars), Sedation, Smut will probably happen too, Snap isn't so bad, There will be fluff, Violent Scenes, Waitress Rey (Star Wars), Werewolves, maybe someday
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:48:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26879986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonStreet/pseuds/MoonStreet
Summary: Rey has spent five years looking at every stranger to walk into Takodana Diner with the hope that someday one of them might recognize her. You see, she has no memory of her life before being found in the woods, naked and bloody. The only clues to her past are a leather jacket, an old black mustang, and a curse she can't shake.Questions haunt her every step but the one that plagues her most of all is:Has she always been a werewolf?
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 18
Kudos: 14
Collections: ReylOlds, Reylo Readers & Writers - The Spooktacular Collection





	1. What If There Were Two?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> If you'd like to listen along I've made a Spotify playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7btmXJEABhu2kywrssFLES?si=XPhi49YkRlaa9FNoHtkX3Q

Rey glanced at the calendar positioned on the wall and counted the days. In five days it would be five years since she was found. Maz called it her ‘birthday’ but Rey’s gut turned at the thought. Who emerges from the world a fully formed adult aside from goddesses? She was definitely  _ not _ a goddess and she sure as hell didn’t feel like one after a long day waiting tables at the Takodana Diner.

“Order up!” Plutt bellowed and she hustled to grab the plates of food. She delivered the orders, placing them in front of her waiting customers, assuring them that they could let her know if anything was remiss. In a short while, the process would begin again with new orders and new people. They were the only thing that seemed to change with any regularity. Keeping busy helped. It stopped her from searching the eyes of every stranger that came in, hoping one of them might recognize her. Rey took every shift available to her, covered for anyone who needed it. But it was a double-edged sword. More work meant more people raising her hopes and crushing them moments later. But more work also meant that she'd be too tired to think about what her life might have been like before she woke up naked and bloody in the woods. 

  
No, not naked. She had been found curled up, cocooned in a leather jacket. The one that smelled so divine Rey couldn’t bear to be parted from it, sweeping her fingers over the black coat every chance she could. It was made for a man much larger than her, but Rey wore it anyway. For her, it was a shield against the world, a home she knew was out there, if only she could find that one thing that would light the way. The leather jacket was one of few remnants from a past she didn’t remember. One day she’d find the owner and return it to him, exchanging it for the truth and with that, her home. That was why she considered it her most cherished possession and she went to great lengths to make sure it was loved and cared for.

  
“Niima!” a voice called and Rey glanced over at Kaydel, another waitress, who nodded toward a table. “Can you cover for me? My mom called and said Temiri’s sick again.” Rey nodded lifelessly. She could be counted on to cover for anyone who needed it. 

Rey had no one. 

Rey was no one.

“Go on, I can handle it, we’re slowing down anyway,” Rey assured her, taking heart that at least she was a bit heroic, helping the single mom. Kaydel kissed her cheek and she could smell soap and grease mingled on her skin. 

“Thanks, Doll. I’ll cover you on Halloween, I know it’s-”

“It’s fine.” Rey smiled, scrunching up her nose. “Go take care of your boy.” 

Kaydel fled the diner without another word and Rey started clearing tables. Maz couldn’t justify having a busboy full time so Rey often took care of that too. The door opened, the bell poised above it chiming the arrival of another customer. “Take a seat, I’ll get you a menu,” Rey said with artificial cheer. She was too busy to look up, a slight that left her with a twinge of regret but tucked the feeling away. Taking the dirty dishes to the bin situated near the sink she returned to the booth and glanced down at the man seated quietly. 

“Thanks.” He said, his dark hands taking the menu from her. He glanced up at her nervously, not meeting her eyes and Rey frowned. “Any specials?”

“Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.” She said from memory. “Soup of the day is vegetable dumpling. And for pies, we have chocolate silk, pumpkin, and peach.” Rey smiled.

“Sure, uh, I’ll have that.” He returned her smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. They were a deep chocolate brown and Rey felt a tiny flicker of recognition. He must have been in the diner before.

“You want all of it?” She questioned, taking his menu back, tucking it under one arm as she slipped the notepad from her apron.

“Right.” He blushed. “I’ll have the meatloaf, soup and uh, what’s your favorite pie?”

“I like the pumpkin myself,” Rey said easily.

“Always did,” he muttered.

“What was that?” She asked sharply, not sure if she heard him right. He ducked his head. How would he know that about her?

“Nothing, pumpkin sounds great. Can I have a coffee too?” He recovered and Rey nodded, going to get the carafe before her paranoia got the better of her.

Rey went behind the counter, her hands shaking and she willed them to steady. Maz glanced over at her from manning the register. “All right, girl?” The woman only  _ looked _ blind as a bat. In truth, she saw more beyond the surface than any person had a right to.

“Just a strange feeling. Kaydel had to go, Temiri was sick again.” Rey told her.

“I saw her as she slipped out. Poor boy.” Maz tutted, her eyes holding Rey’s gaze a second too long. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Well, it is almost Halloween.” Rey teased, hoping to diffuse the tension.

“A ghost from the past maybe?” Maz continued. It shouldn’t bother Rey that the old woman voiced the concerns she had so precisely, as if Maz knew exactly what she was thinking. Being seen so clearly for what she was by the old woman put her hackles up. 

Rey snatched the carafe without answering, returning to the booth where the stranger waited. He was fidgeting on the puffy red seat, his leg bouncing wildly and his eyes darting around the diner as if he would bolt at any second. Rey hoped he didn’t plan to dine and dash.

“Coffee for you,” Rey said, pouring him a cup. “Order’s in for the meatloaf and should be out soon.” 

“Thanks. You worked here long?” He asked casually and blew on the murky liquid before taking a sip.

“A while,” Rey said vaguely.

“Got a family?” he pressed. 

It was normal for customers to make conversation, typically it was about the weather or the sights to see around Jakku. The audacity of being asked something so personal set her on edge. Who was he to invade her privacy? If she snapped, it would mean risking a tip and she tried very hard not to chase away well-meaning but poorly mannered customers. Resuming her bright customer service tone, she asked, “Was there anything else you needed?” as if to say  _ ‘you’ve crossed a line’ _ .

“Nah, thanks.” He shook his head and pulled out his phone, staring pointedly at the screen. Rey committed his face to memory, noted the strange half-moon symbol stitched to his jacket. His eyes met hers a moment then flicked back. She turned away to tend to her other tables.

  
  


The stranger left after wolfing down his food. Rey had slid him his check and he left a hundred dollar bill on the table and slipped away. “That’s a good tip for the night,” Maz commented absently.

  
“Yeah, not bad. I can fix the generator on the trailer now.” Rey smiled and pocketed the change. 

  
  


She continued her evening and the man slipped from her memory as she tended the dwindling crowd.

Her shift ended at midnight when the diner closed and Rey walked out to her car, a black mustang with red leather seats and it smelled exactly as the leather jacket did. It was yet another piece in the puzzle that was her past. The keys had been in the pocket of her jacket, the car found parked haphazardly in front of Takodana Diner. She started the car, glancing a moment at the keychain that was simply a large crescent moon with the initial ‘R’ and drove the half-mile to her little canned ham trailer at the edge of Maz’s farm.

It wasn’t much but she’d made it homey with minor touches, things that Maz had insisted she was getting rid of anyway, blankets Kaydel swore she didn’t need. “Honey, I’m home,” Rey called to the empty capsule, tossing her keys on the counter. 

Slipping the jacket off, she pressed a gentle kiss to the collar, taking a moment to inhale the familiar scent. If she was careful, Rey could almost catch a glimpse of the man it belonged to. On rougher days like today, this eased her loneliness, if only for a moment. Rey hung the jacket on its hook by the door and slipped her backpack onto one of the small seats that made up the booth-like arrangement at the front.

At the back was her bed, a double that Rey was certain couldn’t fit anyone taller than herself. In the spaces between was the kitchenette that she was still working on repairing, opposite that was a closet and storage. The trailer lacked a proper bathroom but Rey had made do with an old washtub Maz had gifted her that she strapped to the exterior when it wasn’t in use.

  
For Rey, it was home and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Except maybe to have her memories.

  
Life after the arrival of the stranger was uneventful for a couple of days. Temiri recovered, so Kaydel took on extra shifts. The single mother was too proud to accept direct help, so Rey snuck cash into her tip jar when Kaydel wasn’t looking.

“You’re a soft touch,” Maz accused her.

  
“I’ve only myself to take care of, she’s got a young one.” Rey shrugged and went about serving lunches to impatient patrons.

  
  


It was the third day, the day before Halloween that Rey started to feel the prickle on the back of her neck again. “All right, girl?” Maz asked.

“Yeah, just…” Rey shook her head as the sentence trailed. 

“Go home, you’re no use to me sick,” Maz told her firmly. Rey always got ill, like clockwork, on the full moon. Typically, she could hide it by maneuvering her shifts quietly. Maz allowed it since Rey worked nearly every day except around the full moon. This month was no exception, but two full moons in one month gained her some suspicious glances from Kaydel and Plutt. Nobody kept track of the phases as she did. The surly short-order cook once commented about ‘that time of the month’ and Rey let him gripe if it meant he didn’t go poking around for the truth.

“I can make it through the shift, at least.” Rey insisted and Maz scowled. “Then I’m off tomorrow, deal?” she added hopefully.

“Deal. Just don’t snap at Plutt, you’ll give him a heart attack and I can’t afford to shut down if he dies,” Maz quipped.

“Right,” she laughed. 

The door opened and Rey caught a familiar scent in the air. It was pine and moss and bonfire rolled into one, with one distinct difference. Where her jacket held a ghost, a mere whiff of this familiar smell, this source was alive and vibrant. She felt her heart begin to race. Would this finally be the day she’d been waiting for? 

  
She turned and her head started to ache. Something was wrong. Very wrong. 

“Rey?” Maz called out hopping off her stool to reach her.

“I’m fine,” Rey lied, holding out her hand for Maz to stay back. Her eyes met the man darkening her doorstep. He stood impossibly tall and broad, with all the air of a dark prince. “Have a seat,” she said sharply, panic stealing her usually sunny tone. The man moved past her and she looked at Kaydel. “Cover for me?” 

“Sure, dollface. You ok?”

“I don’t know, my head just really hurts. I need some air.” Rey didn’t wait for Kaydel to respond, she hurried out the back door and doubled over.

  
  


_ A hand stretched out “Come on!” he yelled.  _

_ Rey shook her head. “I can’t! Don’t go this way!” she pleaded. _

_ “We have no choice,” he said.  _ Who _ said? Her mind frantically scrambled for a name, anything. _

  
  


“Rey.” Maz put a hand on her shoulder and she jolted upright. “Are you all right?”

Taking in her surroundings she wondered if it was her past or the isolation catching up to her. Was she finally cracking up? Rey kept everyone at arm’s length, telling just enough to carve out a place for herself in this town. She circled round to the doubt that crept in every year near her  _ birthday _ . What if she never remembered? What if these people were her world now? Could she trust them enough to let them in? “No, something’s wrong, Maz,” she croaked. “That smell on the jacket. It was there in the diner. That man.”

“He’s gone now, if you’re worried about trouble.” Maz soothed. The old woman was a hard-ass but she also knew how to ease Rey’s troubled mind, like magic. “Why don’t you head home and I’ll come by later with some dinner.”

“All right.” Rey nodded, scrubbing her hands over her face. “I just need my coat.” She slipped through the back door to the coat hook and retrieved the precious leather jacket. It covered her like armor, helping her to steady her nerves as she headed back outside. Slipping her hand in the pocket for her keys, Rey found a slip of paper. 

**CALL ME**

A number was scrawled underneath and Rey frowned. She tucked the paper back into her pocket and twirled her car keys around her index finger, a nervous habit she didn’t recall picking up but when one has no memory, all habits are as mysterious as they are new.

“All right, protein platter will be on its way around six, I’m leaving early for bingo.”

  
“ _ Maz _ ,” Rey sighed as she slipped into the convertible. “Don’t make a fuss. Please.”

“Right, just like you don’t make a fuss, giving Kaydel half your tips.” Maz winked and stepped back as Rey pulled away.

The splitting headache persisted on her drive home and she nearly leaped out of the car to climb inside her trailer. 

This was different from every other month. Something was wrong. Rey stumbled to the sink, dry heaving as she struggled to stay in control of her body. 

"Not today, it's too early," she whimpered.

  
  
  


_ Finn had been right. _

The words rang through Ben's mind as he sat in his truck parked in front of Jakku's only motel. Rey had seen him, met his eyes, and looked right past him as she fled the building. 

_ Finn had been right. She didn't remember _ anything.

"Ben?" His mother's voice rang through the line. "Is it her?"

"Yeah." Ben breathed.

"She was alone?" Leia pressed.

"I don't know. Finn said she got cagey when he asked her personal questions." Ben raked a hand through his dark hair and leaned back in his seat. 

"It's close to a full moon if you aren't careful-"

"I know, believe me, I  _ know," _ he assured her, unable to hear the warning she’d given him so many times. Ben barely had control of himself  _ without _ a full moon. The rage that simmered just beneath the surface, begging to get out, left him exhausted. 

He had only felt peace from it for a very brief time. Only when she was nearby.

“Be careful, Ben, and call me if you need anything,” Leia said softly and the line went dead.

Rey woke up sprawled on her bed over the covers, shoes still on, her jacket draped over her. She raised herself up onto her elbows, glancing around the silent trailer, the sound of her steady inhale and exhale breaking the stillness. Her head didn’t ache quite so much but the sinking feeling lingered. She slept fitfully, dreaming of that strange man from the diner. 

There was a swift knocking at the door, three taps then silence again.

Maz.

“Coming!” Rey called out as she stumbled to the door. Maz carried a brown bag in her arms, a stern expression on her face. 

  
“Feel better?” Maz asked.

  
“Sort of.” Rey coughed to clear her throat. “I don’t remember going to bed.” 

Maz nodded. She set the bag of food down on the small table and turned to look around the trailer. “Full moon is tomorrow. Are you prepared?” the old woman asked.

“I’m going to hike out soon. Will you be alright with the Halloween rush?” Rey opened up the bag and tore into the first takeout box containing a hamburger and fries. Maz laughed humorlessly and shook her head. 

“I’ll be fine. Just keep your distance until you’re human again.” Maz meant it both literally and figuratively. 

“Thanks, Maz. For everything.” Rey said and swallowed the bite of food in her mouth, realizing her bad manners.

“Five years already, hardly seems like it. Just yesterday you were-”

“Yeah.” 

Rey shook her head. Maz nodded, understanding. Rey didn’t like to relive that moment any more than Maz did. 

“I’ve got bingo tonight, so if I don’t see you before, take care.” Rey bent down to receive a hug from Maz and she turned to busy herself while the woman made a hasty exit. 

  
  


She ate most of the food in the bag over the course of an hour or so and when Rey couldn’t find room to fit anymore she condensed the leftovers and stuck them into her mini-fridge. She walked the bag out to her trash can and scanned the trailer for something else to do. 

**_CALL ME_ **

The words flashed through her mind and Rey wondered who left the note. Fishing the paper out of her jacket and retrieving her pay-as-you-go phone, Rey dialed the number and took a deep breath.

“Hello?” A rich voice answered and Rey felt a prickle of familiarity. Her heart started thudding in her chest and she drew in a deep breath. What was she going to say? Who was she even talking to? “Hello?” The voice asked again and Rey hit the red button.

_ What the fuck are you thinking, Rey? _ she admonished herself. She didn’t have time for this. In just a few short hours the change would hit her hard. She wouldn’t be herself and whoever left that note could be put in danger as a result. Her phone chimed again, playing some awful attempt at a catchy tune. 

They were calling back. 

Rey hit the reject button but almost immediately the phone rang again. They were persistent, she had to give them that. She inhaled deeply through her nose and let out the breath through her mouth, just like she’d read in that book Kaydel gave her about trauma. She pressed the green button and held it up to her ear.

“Rey.” This voice, a masculine baritone that drew her in like a moth to a flame, called her by name. “Rey, are you there?”

“Yes,” she whispered hoarsely. “How did you know my name, who are you?”

“I know a lot about you, don’t worry. It’s ok,” the voice replied hastily. “My name is Ben.”

“Ben,” Rey repeated and the word left a feeling of unease in her chest. Part excitement, part dread. “I don’t know anyone named Ben.”

“It’s ok,” Ben replied. “I’m staying at the motel in town. Can I meet you somewhere?”

“Are you the man from the diner earlier today?” she asked. There was a long silence, Rey fidgeted and chewed her lip.

“Yes.” 

“I can’t meet you. I’m sorry, it’s too close to-” Rey cut off. Only Maz knew about her trouble. “I’m going away for a couple of days, I can meet you when I get back.”

“No, Rey. You cannot go out alone. It’s not safe,” he warned urgently.

“I’ve been doing just fine for the last five years,” Rey assured him. “I’ll come find you at the motel when I get back.” She went to hang up the phone but froze at his next words, Ben’s voice clear and honest. 

“Rey, you can’t turn alone tonight. Your grandfather found you.” 

She had many questions but she couldn’t make the command to speak them.

“I’ll send you my address,” Rey heard herself say and hung up the phone. She fumbled with the text message and entered her address, really more of a set of coordinates and directions, then tossed the phone onto her bed and began pacing. 

She debated where she’d even start with this Ben person. Interrogation seemed like as good a place as any. Tossing him on her bed and having her way with him was another option that flitted through her mind and Rey shook her head. Not only was that a terrible idea, but she also needed to focus on what he was telling her. Ben  _ knew _ her. He knew her  _ family.  _ She had a family out there.

What if he was out to hurt her? What if her family was looking to protect her from this Ben?

_ He owned the jacket. Maybe the car too, _ Rey thought.  _ I could have stolen it from him though, it’s not a stretch,  _ she countered. She stopped her pacing and went to the closet, reaching for the Louisville Slugger propped in the corner. Gripping it tightly she walked the scant distance and lay the bat on the counter.    
  
Rey was prepared to meet Ben and her fate, whatever that may bring.

  
  


Ben showered quickly, dressed, and climbed into his truck in record time as he followed Rey’s directions. This was his only chance to get Rey to safety. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel as he drove through the hilly landscape, through the mountain town, and into the outskirts. His GPS directed him to turn and he did, thinking on all the things he’d wanted to tell her over the years. The changes that had happened for their pack. 

The fact that they had a pack to call home. He couldn’t wait to tell her.

He pulled up to a small trailer, lights glowing inside and he watched Rey’s silhouette pass by the windows. It was dusk and the moon hung low and nearly full. Tomorrow their change would be inevitable and Ben was without the confines of his cage.

Hopping out of the truck, Ben took a deep breath and walked for the door. He went to knock, but it burst open. “Come in.” Rey gestured and Ben nodded. She closed the door and locked it behind him. A bat sat on the counter at one end and he rose one brow up at her. “For my safety,” she informed him. “In case you turn out to be some crazy ax murderer.” 

Ben huffed a laugh and shook his head. “Fair enough.” 

“I don’t know you,” she told him.

  
“You did once,” he assured her. Rey had known him better than anyone else in the world. Now she looked at him like a stranger. His heart was near to breaking all over again.

“Well,” Rey said stubbornly. “I don’t now.” She gestured to the small table and Ben wedged himself into the seat, finding it nearly impossible to fit comfortably. Rey leaned against the counter a mere foot away from him. He had the urge to reach out, pull her against him, and kiss her like he’d wanted to for the last five years. Most nights he dreamt of this day, finding her again and wrapping her up in his arms. She was usually smiling then, laughing and happy as he kissed her face and whispered how much he missed her. 

“What do you want? How do you know my family?” Her words brought him back to the present. To this distrustful Rey who stared at him like he was the enemy,  _ her _ enemy. 

“To the point. You always were rather blunt,” he muttered.

“I was?” Rey shifted on her feet. “Sorry, it’s so strange to hear. Nobody here knows me from before-” her features softened and there was a small crack in the mask she wore. Maybe there was a chance that she would trust him again.

“No, it’s fine. You’re right to be suspicious. Finn said you didn’t remember anything, I should have believed him.” Ben drummed his fingers on the table and sighed. How did one go about telling someone about their past?

“Finn?” She pressed, her brows knit together.

“Your best friend, my third in command,” Ben said. “He was here before, a couple of days ago. He was passing through and followed a hunch.” 

“The kid. Meatloaf and pumpkin pie.” Rey frowned. “He was nosy. Asked if I had a family.”

“Do you?” he asked, hoping selfishly that she’d been alone all this time. His eyes met hers, swallowing hard, his hands clenched into fists. Five years was a long time to be alone. The final blow to his dark existence would be that he had sent her running into the arms of another man. 

“What?” Her hazel eyes danced, searching his, no recognition in them. 

“Have a family?” He managed. His stomach was in knots at the idea of walking away from her or watching her return home in love with someone else. In his mind, it had always been Ben and Rey,  _ soul mates _ . 

  
  


Rey watched him carefully. There was no reason to trust him, he still hadn’t answered her questions but he was hyper-focused on that one aspect of her life. Did she have a family? Maz was like a grandmother. She might someday see Kaydel as a friend but Rey had kept everyone at bay. 

Then it dawned on her. 

“You mean like a  _ boyfriend _ ?” she managed. Ben nodded once. “No, no boyfriend.” Her eyes flicked back to the bedroom where the leather jacket lay on the bed, uncharacteristically not on its hook by the door. How did she explain that his scent was the one she’d turned to for so many years? 

  
“Good. It’ll make leaving easier,” he said and Rey whipped her head back to him.

“Who says I’m leaving?” She wasn’t going anywhere with him until she had more answers. “I’m certainly not leaving here with you, a man I’ve just met.”

“If I told you I know you better than you think I do, would you trust me?” Ben asked softly. Rey wondered why he was so invested.

“I’m listening.” She sat down in the seat across from him, her knees bumping his in the process. Rey didn’t know where to start, what to ask. Ben watched her as she started to speak and stopped herself many times. What if she didn’t like the person that she was before?

“Well, you lived in Chandrila.” he started.

  
“Do I have a family?” Rey leaned forward, spellbound.

“Of a sort,” Ben replied. “You liked to work on old cars with my dad. You and Finn were best friends, used to get into all sorts of trouble, mostly harmless stuff.” He laughed. Rey wished she could see what he was seeing in his head.

“Why would you _ , in particular, _ be looking for me?” she asked and Ben’s eyes met hers. He reached back into his pocket and produced a leather wallet. His motions were shaky as he pulled out a picture and slid it across the table to her. 

Rey glanced down at the image and blinked a moment. It wasn’t registering that she was the girl in the photograph. A wide smile on her face as she leaned into a man, his arm around her, and a look of love on his face as he smiled at her and not the camera. It was Ben of course but the smile changed his whole appearance. He looked younger, more alive. “That’s us.”

“Yes,” Ben said softly.

“We were...friends?” She hedged. Pain crossed his face for a fleeting moment, Rey nearly missed the look and frowned. He shrugged but offered no other answers. She brought it closer to her face, searching the worn photo for clues, anything that would jog her memory. “So they sent you to find me?” Ben took the picture when she offered it back to him, their fingers brushing at the contact.

“I’ve been looking for you for a very long time, Rey,” he said softly. “I wish we had more time to take this slowly, but your grandfather is somewhere out there. Finn said he saw his cronies hanging around town, it’s just a matter of time before he’s here too.”

“I can’t just pick up and leave. The full moon is happening soon and I don’t know about you but it’s better for all involved if I go into the woods.” Rey never pictured this. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Someone was supposed to recognize her, say they’d missed her, and speak some magic word that would unlock the door to her past. Ben was talking and that door just remained locked, the path now muddled by all the things he’d told her.

“I know. Look, I promise after we get through this, I can explain more, just not here. If you’re found, they’ll try to kill you.” he looked at her and his deep brown eyes were lightened to honey gold. 

Then it dawned on her. He had told her on the phone she couldn’t turn alone, but the phrase had slipped in with other details that overwhelmed her. “Oh.” she breathed. “You’re a-”

“Like you, yes,” Ben said swiftly, as though speaking the word werewolf was inviting trouble. 

“Do you have somewhere you can ride out the change?” Rey asked, sliding out from the table. Going to her closet, she pulled the ready backpack down as he shook his head.

“I’m going with you.”

“The hell you are! How do I know you’re not one of these cronies out to kill me?” She glanced at the bat and Ben reached it first, not grasping the weapon but holding it just out of her reach.

“When you’re upset, you twirl your keys on your finger,” he said suddenly. Rey glanced up in surprise, they were standing close in the confines of the trailer. It would only take a moment to reach out and touch him. “There’s a scar on your shoulder, bite marks. There’s another set on your thigh, near your hip.” Rey dropped the backpack.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” she insisted. Nobody but Maz had seen her naked. There was no way he could know that unless-

“Rey, we are running out of time. I am asking you to trust me.” Ben held out his hand and she stared at it. Involuntarily she reached out, about to touch when the sound of gravel crunching outside caught her attention. Ben’s head whipped around in the direction of the door.

“That’s not Maz, she’s at bingo,” she whispered, slinging the backpack on and taking the extra step to grab her leather jacket. It might be redundant now that Ben was around but she wouldn’t risk losing anything important to her. Rey could hear footsteps racing quietly around the trailer. “There’s four of them.”

“When I say go, you run for the trees. No questions asked,” Ben whispered. Rey nodded. He reached for the knob and she prepared to run. 

The door burst open and Ben stepped out to find nobody there. 

“What the fuck?” Rey whispered. Four wolves, all gray, came out of hiding and she blinked. “Ben.”

“I see them,” he said.

“This is bad.” 

“Run,” he told her. When he looked back at her, his eyes were now fully yellow, his fangs elongating as the change overcame him. Ben pulled off his shirt and was trying to work on removing his shoes as fur sprouted from his body. Rey had never seen it happen from the outside and felt equal parts fascinated and horrified. He doubled over, his body arching as bones broke and reformed, warping his figure.  _ “RUN!” _ he yelled and she shook out of her reverie to slip past him and sprint for the trees just a few yards away. 

Her ability to stay human depended solely on the phase of the moon, hostage to the ebb and flow of the magic it contained. If her calculations were right, she had a very small window of time to get away before her control would slip and she’d lose out to the beast within. No matter how many times she fought it, the change always won and she suspected it always would.

One of the four wolves peeled away from the half-circle surrounding Ben. Rey let loose a curse as she prayed to any gods that might be hearing to let her make it to the trees. Nobody knew those woods as well as she did and Rey just needed to get safe. Her hands reached out for the branches, fingers grazing the wood — almost enough to grab when a searing pain shot up her leg, bringing her crashing down to the ground.

The wolf’s teeth sunk in and it began dragging her back toward the others. Rey used her free foot to kick at the beast, snarling promises of vengeance for what it had done. The smell of blood, sweat, and fear filled her nostrils and she could taste copper in her mouth. “Let go of me!” she growled, angling the heel of her foot and bringing it down hard. A lucky blow knocked it in the eye. But instead of releasing her, it doubled down its grip and shook its head fiercely, shredding the skin around her ankle. 

Another one of the three facing off with Ben split off and headed toward Rey. She scrambled to get her leg free, grabbing for something, anything to protect herself. Her hands slipped through grass, and dirt and she let loose a primal scream of frustration. 

A shot rang out and Rey tried to sit up. The two wolves facing off with Ben fled into the darkness. Another shot had the wolf barreling toward her falling to the ground, blood misting the air. Ben turned to the wolf still latched onto her leg, growling around its prize and he leaped at it, knocking the wolf away from Rey long enough so she could drag herself from the fray.

“Are you all right?” Maz’s voice cried out and she ran for Rey.

  
“Go, it’s not safe,” Rey whined. 

“Idiot girl, like I’m going to let some werewolves scare me off,” she scoffed. “Your leg looks pretty bad, let’s get you inside.” Maz helped her to stand.

“What about him?” Rey nodded toward Ben.

“Well, as long as he’s a wolf he’s staying outside.” the old woman said firmly. They maneuvered to Rey’s bed and Maz deposited her there without a word.

“What about me?” Rey whispered. The woman’s mouth opened and shut a moment and then she held up a hand.

“Let me make some calls.” Maz left Rey on the bed, the shotgun propped against the cupboard. A whimper from outside the trailer distracted her from the pain momentarily. She was bleeding on the blankets, the soft blue now marred with red. “Snap, I need you here.” Rey heard Maz’s voice raise a little. “No, now. Your pool tournament can wait. I’ve got a girl bleeding-” there was silence. “You spent three years in medical school, I know  _ for a fact _ you can do sutures.” 

Rey listened to the movements outside, her mind calling out the fight as if she could see through the thin metals walls. A yip and a growl, a scrape of gravel and the thud of dirt. Something large hit the trailer and shook it. She glanced over to be sure a dent hadn’t been left and was surprised to see the wall was unscathed. Murmurs came from the other end of her small sanctuary and Rey sat up. “Maz,” she called.

  
“I know.” the old woman replied. “Snap’s on his way down, he can get you patched up and he’s good at not asking questions.” The unspoken words between them hung low as Maz walked back to Rey and reached for a white tee-shirt, ripping it with surprising strength. She made quick work of the fabric, tearing it into strips to wrap around Rey’s mauled ankle. “Good thing you’re already a werewolf.” Maz teased.

Rey huffed out a humorless laugh and winced as the pain radiated up her leg. “Who do you think is winning out there?”

  
“Good question,” Maz commented, glancing up from her handiwork as she knotted the makeshift bandage tightly.

  
Rey scrubbed a dirty hand over her face and sighed. “I need to go, Maz. It’s too dangerous to be out here.” The clock was ticking and something inside was stirring, if she didn’t get out and fast, she’d hurt the one person she trusted. 

“That’s  _ also _ why Snap’s coming instead of a doctor. He’s going to try sedating you.” Maz replied. “You can’t go out into the wilderness with an injury. You’d either get picked off by a bear or die of an infection.”

“And staying here someone could get killed, or worse, bitten.”

“Tell me, Rey, has anyone been hurt  _ or bitten _ in five years?” Maz asked as if she was reasoning with a child. “Because I read the paper every damn day and if someone were to get mauled by a dog or a wolf, I’d know about it.”    
  
“No.” Rey shook her head. “But that’s only because-”

“Only because I know you’d never hurt a soul unless forced.” Maz continued. “You are not a monster.” Rey met Maz’s eyes a moment then looked away, her vision cloudy with unshed tears. 

The scuffling outside finished with a piercing yelp and then stillness. Panic rose up in Rey’s throat and she felt ready to throw up. Was Ben dead? Were they about to face down another beast intent on killing her? When the last bandage was tied, Rey tried to sit up but was pressed back onto the bed with a gentle hand. She was too keyed up to sleep and the throbbing in her leg sent steady waves of agony through her body. Laying there, staring at the ceiling she forced herself to breathe steadily as a haze formed around her vision, tunneling it until finally, it all went black.


	2. So Long Ago, I Don't Remember When

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Please See Chapter Notes**
> 
> “You don’t belong here, Rey.” At her look of contempt, he added, “It’s not safe, for you or the people who know you.”
> 
> “Nobody really knows me anyway. Hell, I don’t even know me.” Rey whispered that last part, shaking her head.
> 
> “But I do,” Ben replied, even though she hadn’t been saying it to him directly. Rey clenched her jaw to keep from protesting his claim.

Rey was enveloped in the scent of her leather jacket, relishing the warmth as it was draped over her. Last night’s dream had been a blur of blood and teeth, fear, and confusion.  _ It had been one long nightmare,  _ she concluded with relief. She must have missed Maz dropping by her trailer and slept straight through the night. Slowly, Rey rose from the depths of hibernation and reason began to set in. If she’d slept through, then she hadn’t changed with the moon. As she fidgeted under the weight of the coat she found it difficult to move. A deep rumble of protest sounded behind her.

Her eyes popped open and winced at the brightness of daylight streaming through the tiny bedroom. She tried to sit up but found her movements halted by a vice-like grip around her waist. “Get off,” Rey growled, preparing to fight. Her captor’s nose brushed along the nape of her neck and she felt lips press gently behind her ear. She froze in place, wondering if she’d misremembered the events of last night. 

“Good morning, little wolf,” Ben’s voice murmured huskily and Rey’s eyes widened. She flailed wildly, cursing when her ankle hit the wall. His grip loosened and she stumbled away and stood, facing him. He was on his side, propped up on one elbow, a sleepy smile on his face. In one fluid motion he rolled onto his back and stretched with a groan. She watched the movement, mesmerized by his broad form and tousled hair. The aquiline nose and full lips that had brushed her neck were silhouetted in the light and she had to shake herself out of the trance she found herself in.    
  
_ He is a stranger, _ she told herself. 

Her instincts whispered back:  _ But he smells exactly like everything you’ve found solace in for five years, _ and she doubled down on her resolve.

“What are you doing in my bed?” Rey huffed. Her indignation lost some of its edge when she took in the sight of him, sprawled across the double mattress, one arm propped behind his head. Ben was much too big for her bed and his presence in it made her angry that he looked so  _ perfect _ there. “Nevermind, I don’t want to know, just…” She took a deep breath. “Get out.”

“Get out?” Ben sat up then, his eyes darkening. The command she’d given swept away his good humor. She got the impression he was the sort of man unaccustomed to being told what to do. He doled out the orders, never took them. The silence wound around them, tension growing as time passed.

“Y-Yes, you had no right to be there.” Rey hobbled back a step and Ben climbed out of the bed, stalking toward her. His modesty falling with the sheet and she contemplated how quickly she could put distance between them. Her eyes started to drift lower but she steadfastly brought them back up to focus on his face.

“That wasn’t how you seemed to feel about it last night.” He smirked. Something had changed in the time between facing down the wolves and her passing out. She didn’t appreciate the tone he was taking with her and growled.

“Really? I’m not even sure what day it is, you think I was really capable of being aware when I was  _ sedated? _ ” Rey snapped. “Thank you for your help getting rid of the others but now you can kindly go back home. I’m safe now.” 

She took another step back, Ben matched her. If she wanted, she could reach out and trace her fingers down the broad expanse of his chest. The urge was there but Rey still didn’t know him, didn’t trust him. Self-preservation won out  _ this time _ .

The door burst open and Maz came in. “Oh good, you’re awake,” she said to Rey, a brown paper bag in her arms as she bustled between the pair, setting down the bundle. “I brought some food. Figured you might be hungry.” 

“Thanks,” Rey managed, firmly ignoring Ben who was leaning against the closet door as if being totally nude in front of strangers was a normal occurrence. “I’m not sure how they do things where you come from, but here we wear pants to breakfast.” She turned and leveled a glare at him over Maz’s head. He looked as if he might protest but instead stalked past them and out the trailer.    
  
“How are you feeling?” Maz asked as though she had been blissfully unaware of the happenings of the past minute. The old woman might fool Ben but Rey knew her better than that. Maz would bide her time until the right moment presented itself to bring it up.

“Sore,” Rey answered after assessing herself. She felt wrung out emotionally and physically, the events of the past several hours a tempest within her. “Tired,” she added after a moment. In the stillness of the trailer, everything caught up to her and Rey felt herself crying from the mess she found herself in. Her mind was a tangle of thoughts and emotions, desperate to unravel but every time it felt as though she’d pulled loose a string, something else tightened around her. She was drowning in change. Maz stopped her efforts with the food to pat Rey on the shoulder, rubbing her back gingerly. Rey had witnessed Kaydel comforting Temiri much the same way and she leaned into it, her face buried in her hands. 

“Snap will be back in a bit to check out your wounds,” Maz gestured for her to go sit and Rey reluctantly agreed, hobbling over to the booth. Lowering herself down onto the vinyl seat, she stretched her leg out before her, leaning in the corner where it butted up to the wall of the trailer. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm her frayed nerves, and closed her eyes.

  
  
  


**18 Hours Earlier**

Ben shook his head sharply, clenching his jaws around the throat of the offending wolf. The creature yelped once, releasing a final bark into the night, and went limp. His human mind warred with the primal urge to run after the other two that had gotten away.  _ Rey was safe _ , let them go report back to that shriveled up piece of shit that he had found her first. He’d be waiting for more to show up. And when they did, because it was inevitable, Ben would kill them too.

He turned his head to the trailer, the lights still on, a shadow of the old woman moving back and forth, pacing. He turned his hulking form toward it and scratched at the door. “You’re not coming in here till you’ve dropped your fur,” the woman called out firmly. 

  
Ben blinked a moment then barked.

The door opened and her head poked out. “She’s passed out. Probably blood loss and shock. If you want to be useful go make yourself scarce so you don’t scare the shit out of my vet.” Ben growled low and she rolled her eyes at him. “Get going or I’ll turn the rifle on you too.”

Ben hesitated a moment, the command chafing against his dominant tendencies. He could force his way in, overpower the woman and join Rey. It wouldn’t take much effort but he risked scaring off the one person he wanted to keep close. Finally, reason won out. The woman was helping Rey, which was his own primary goal. He would concede  _ for Rey _ . At least for the moment.

Turning from the trailer Ben approached the dead wolves. The first one had its throat ripped out a gaping, bloody hole where the windpipe would have been. He growled low, grabbing it by the scruff and dragged it off to the trees. He repeated the process with the second wolf, the one that had attacked Rey. When he was human again he would burn the remains, denying them a proper burial while at the same time avoiding suspicion from nosey outsiders.

Among werewolves, there was an unspoken code, a culture that was as animalistic as it was sophisticated. The rules were brutal but it allowed them to move through human society without being detected. Palpatine’s goons had put them all at risk of discovery.

A bright orange beat up truck pulled parked alongside Ben’s black pickup and he turned, prepared to fight again. The exhaustion he felt taking a backseat to another surge of adrenaline. The driver’s side door opened and a large man climbed out hastily, hustling around to the truck bed and retrieving a black duffel bag. He banged on the trailer door twice and the old woman’s head popped out, she glanced at him, then at Ben and yanked the man inside.

_ That must have been the vet. _

Once the door was closed, Ben edged carefully to the small trailer, staying out of sight so he could listen.

“Is that Rey? Christ, Maz, what happened to her?” The man’s voice was gruff. 

“Try not to ask too many questions, I don’t like lying to you. She got bit, that’s all you need to know. You should sedate her first.” Maz, the old woman, said urgently. “I’ll get some water boiling.”

  
“Sedated? I have horse tranqs, Maz, not human sedatives. That could kill her.”

“Snap Wexley, listen to me well.” There was a scuffle.

  
“Ow, okay, okay!” Snap cried out. “Not the face, it’s my one redeeming feature.”

“This girl needs a sedative first, then you get her patched up. Otherwise, there’s going to be more of a shitshow than you’re already walking into.” Maz warned.

“Man, I should have just ignored the call,” Snap muttered. Ben almost growled.

“That may have been smarter, but you’re here now. Let’s get this done, I’m on a tight schedule,” Maz said grimly.

Ben listened to the movements as they shuffled inside. Snap would call out things he needed, Maz’s silhouette would glide past the window. She was fast for an old woman. 

“Is she...like Charles?” Snap’s question came and there was a stillness.

“It’s not my story to tell.” Maz replied cryptically.

  
“So that’s a yes,” Snap concluded.

“Just finish up so you can get out of here. It’s getting late,” Maz growled.

A familiar scent caught Ben’s attention and he turned his nose into the wind. He smelled death and blood, expected given the violence that had occurred, but there was something else, just barely a whiff. He moved quietly to avoid detection from those inside the camper and followed the trail. Rey’s scent was the most dominant after blood. Ben remembered how her cheeks had flushed the first time he told her that she smelled like apples and honey, a little bit like engine oil, and earth. It was a strange combination, he’d told her once, but he loved it because for him, she smelled like home. He loved it because he loved Rey. 

As he neared the treeline, the answer lay on the ground in a heap. A black leather jacket gleamed dully in the moonlight and his heartbeat picked up. The faint traces were his own scent, intermingled with hers.  _ Rey had his jacket.  _ It took a moment to register that on the surface she might not have any memories, but something deeper recognized him. Hope sparked anew at the realization, he could work with that, even if it was just a sliver of a chance. Gingerly he picked up the coat in his mouth and trotted back to the trailer, dropping it on the gravel carefully, a prized find. He lay down next to it, waiting for the obnoxious veterinarian and the old woman to leave.

  
An eternity seemed to pass when the door popped open and Snap emerged. The man cried out in alarm and Maz rushed out after him, glaring at Ben. “You’re awful at hiding.” She told him.

“Maz, what the hell is that?”

“What does it look like, you idiot?” Maz pushed Snap toward his truck. “I thank you for your help but the less you know the safer you are.” Ben stood on all fours, nearly eye level with the woman. “He’s safe, I think.”

“You  _ think _ ?” Snap exclaimed.

Maz urged Snap to hustle “Go home, Snap, and get some sleep. I’ll call you when Rey wakes up.” She added. Snap backed slowly up to his truck, tossing his kit in the bed and clambering to get into the driver’s seat, the door barely closed before he peeled away. A sharp tap on Ben’s nose caused him to growl and Maz glared at him through her large glasses. “What part of scarce is difficult for you to understand?”

Ben snarled. 

  
“Oh yes, big bad werewolf.” She rolled her eyes. Maz caught sight of the jacket on the ground and gasped. “If she finds out you’ve got this Rey will lose her mind. I’ve never seen someone so possessive of such an ugly thing.” Bending down without a care, she picked it up, dusting it off as best she could and headed inside. Ben followed closely behind her. “Oh no, Fido, you’re outside until that fur comes off.”

He growled in protest but Maz held firm, meeting his eyes without fear. Finally Ben sat down and he decided he could wait. Rey was close, it was good enough for now.

“She’s heavily sedated, so it could be a while. Just relax, maybe go for a run,” Maz said with a tinge of worry in her voice. Ben wondered at their relationship. He’d seen her in the diner running out after Rey, the only person who seemed to care that she was in distress. “I’m going to go up to the house,” Maz pointed toward a house a few hundred feet away, he’d passed it on his way in. “If you need anything, just howl.” She added with a firm nod and walked off into the darkness.

  
  


**PRESENT**

Rey dozed in the booth while Maz busied herself in the trailer. It was the perfect size for the woman, not too big, not too small, as if it had been built for her once upon a time. “Sleep well?” Maz asked when she stirred from her catnap.

“I guess.” Rey shrugged. Maz nodded. She glanced to the door where her coat was hung on the hook, a little worse for wear. “Did you put that there?”

Maz glanced over her shoulder and then back to plating food. “Your man found it last night.”

“He’s not  _ my _ man.” Rey’s voice squeaked and she coughed to clear her throat. 

  
“He might disagree.” Maz laughed and handed Rey a plate of food. Eggs, bacon, and a stack of pancakes all were arranged neatly. The old woman turned back and started fixing another plate. “I’ll call Snap after breakfast.”

“It’s two o’clock in the afternoon,” Rey pointed out.

“Lunch then,” Maz corrected. She was being more agreeable than normal and it made Rey suspicious. A third plate was arranged and set down on the counter. Rey tucked into her food quietly while Maz turned and opened the door. “There’s food here for you,” she called.

“Thanks,” Ben’s voice called back. Maz sat next to Rey in the booth, leaving the other side empty. He stepped into the trailer fully dressed, his hair slicked back off his face. Without a word, he slid into the seat opposite Rey and began eating. His eyes flicked up occasionally, stealing looks at her as if she might disappear. 

“I’ll go call Snap,” Maz said suddenly, taking her plate with her outside. Rey almost protested but instead bit her lip and stared intently at her plate.

“How’s your leg?” Ben’s voice broke the silence first. 

“Sore,” Rey said after a moment.”But I’ll survive.” She glanced up at him, their eyes meeting a moment and then she refocused on her food. “What happens next?”

“We go back to the pack,” Ben said with finality. Rey chafed at the command. 

“At least until this is settled,” she muttered. 

“You don’t belong here, Rey.” At her look of contempt, he added, “It’s not safe, for you or the people who know you.”

“Nobody really knows me anyway. Hell, I don’t even know me.” Rey whispered that last part, shaking her head.

“But I do,” Ben replied, even though she hadn’t been saying it to him directly. Rey clenched her jaw to keep from protesting his claim. 

The door opened again and Maz stepped inside. She glanced between Rey and Ben, “Snap will be here in about twenty minutes.” She set her empty plate in the sink and then turned back to them. “What’s the plan?” Rey wondered at how much Maz had heard before stepping inside, how much she’d say in response.

“Rey gets checked, if she’s safe to travel we’ll go. It’s better for-” Ben said when Rey didn’t answer immediately

“I’m not leaving.” Rey cut him off.

“You are and that’s final.” Ben growled.

Maz laughed and it snapped both of them out of their argument. Rey bit her lip and climbed out of the seat. “Maz, do you mind if I use your shower? The wash Tub might be a bad idea right about now.” She looked over at Ben.

“Sure. There’s more room for Snap to examine your leg up at the house.” Maz added helpfully. Rey went to her closet and grabbed her bag of toiletries and a towel, hobbling out the door and down the two short steps. She had made it about five feet before Ben was behind her, his boots crunching in the gravel. He moved to pick her up and Rey dodged him. “I can walk.”

“You’re in pain.”

  
“Well, no shit.” Rey sighed. “I will manage.”

“You’ve got twenty minutes to shower, it’ll take you twice that to hobble. Let me help you,” Ben reasoned and she found her practical side coming up with no counterpoint. When she didn’t answer, Ben swept her up into a bridal carry anyway and walked her up to the house. Being close to him allowed her to inhale his scent and she hated that it made her feel safe and protected.

“My jacket,” she muttered and Ben glanced down at her.

“Will be fine in the trailer,” he assured her. “Nobody’s going to touch it.” If she hadn’t been listening closely, she might have thought he said nobody would touch  _ her. _

“Thanks.” Rey nodded, comforted by the conviction in his tone, as if he’d defend that jacket, and her by extension, to the death. She looped her arms around his neck, her fingers itching to slide into his scalp and tug him closer. A smile teased at the corners of his mouth and Rey glanced away. When they were inside Maz’s farmhouse, a sprawling thing that was made for a family and not just a single woman, Ben didn’t set her down, just immediately walked up the stairs and made for the bathroom. “Shit, I forgot clothes.”

“I’ll go get them,” Ben offered. He set her down on the stark white tile and looked ready to say something else but shook his head and turned for the door.

  
  


Ben stomped across the yard, fighting the urge to stay and protect. His instincts warred with reason. Rey was injured and needed protection and his wolf was howling for his mate. She’d looked at him with fear and anger that morning and Ben wondered if five years had been too long to resume where they had left off. 

Five years might be too long to regain her memories. He knew nothing about memory loss and he’d have to call Kalonia to find out how the pack could help Rey. 

Maz burst out of the trailer. “She forgot clothes.”

  
“Yeah I was just headed back for that,” he agreed.

“Look, Fido,-” 

“My name is Ben,” he growled. 

  
“Whatever she might say about not going, she’s been-” Maz stopped herself again, “She’s been looking for someone, anyone, to recognize her. I don’t think Rey ever believed it would happen after so long,” She looked at him, a sadness in her eyes that made Ben frown. “Go easy on her, she’s been alone for a long time.” He nodded and turned back to the house with the pile of clothes, pondering what the old woman had told him. 

He made it back in record time, knocking on the bathroom door. Ben could hear her shuffling slowly, a gasp on her breath as she whined in pain. “Got your clothes,” he said. The door popped open and Rey’s head popped out, her hair was damp and slicked back, rivulets of water streaming down her neck and beyond the cover of her towel. His eyes followed until Rey cleared her throat.

“Thanks.” She took the clothes and snapped the door shut on his face. Ben sighed. It was going to be a long road to regain her trust. He hoped her memories came back faster, it might be easier on both of them.

He waited outside the door, leaning against the wall as he listened to Rey struggle inside. His phone vibrated in the stillness, startling him.

“Hello?” Ben answered.

“How did it go?” Leia’s voice cut to the chase and he tried to feel amusement but after the night before and the murky waters of his emotions, Ben was low on good humor. 

“Fine. Mostly.” He was terrible at lying. 

“You talked to her?” Leia pressed.

“Yes. I’m with her now.” Ben sighed. “Sheev’s wolves showed up right after I did. It was a bit of a shit show.”

“Both of you are safe?” 

  
“For now,” he assured her. “We’re waiting for her to get checked out and then I’m bringing her back. Whether she agrees or not.” Ben said that part loudly enough that Rey could hear.

“ _ The hell I am! _ ” she yelled back through the wall.

  
“Was that her?” Leia’s voice was excited. “Is she all right, what happened?”

“She tried to flee to the woods and one of the wolves got her by the ankle. It’s pretty nasty but she’ll live.” Ben explained. “I’ll give you the whole rundown later, the vet should be here any minute.” He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. Rey emerged from the bathroom dressed, holding onto the toiletries case like a shield. Her dirty clothes tucked under one arm as she eyed the stairs. “Want some help?”

“I can manage,” she gritted out. Taking a tentative step Rey slowly descended to the kitchen. Ben followed behind, prepared to intervene. “That’s Snap’s truck.” She nodded out the window when she made it to the ground floor. Maz and the vet were headed up from her trailer and she hobbled into the kitchen, passing to a small door. The tell-tale crank of a washing machine knob could be heard and Ben found himself at a loss for what to do. 

“Ah, good, you’re done.” Maz stepped inside through the back door and nodded at Ben. “You remember Snap.” Ben nodded once.

  
“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Snap looked at Ben with confusion.

“Hah, nevermind. Rey, what are you doing?” Maz hustled into the laundry room. “Oh honey, those clothes are toast.” Rey emerged and nodded to Snap.

“Hey, Snap,” she said sheepishly. “Thanks for coming.” Her demeanor with the vet was already more relaxed, at ease than with Ben. It sparked jealousy in him. Rey had assured him she didn’t have a boyfriend, or anyone else really. 

“Hey, Rey. How about you have a seat and we take a look at that bite.” Snap helped her to sit, his hand on her elbow. She was letting him touch her. Ben coughed and his eye caught on Maz watching him intently. 

“Ben, how about you go make yourself useful,” Maz said suddenly. “There’s an ax and a cord of wood outside with your name on it.”

“I’m fine.”

“Go on, Fido, I’m not joking.” Maz hooked her thumb for the door. “Let Snap do his job.”

“He’s a vet, this technically isn’t his job.” Ben dug his heels in until Rey looked at him with wide eyes. As her anxiety became more evident, he sighed. “Fine, where?” Maz turned back out the door and led Ben outside.

  
  


Rey watched Snap ease back the leggings she’d slipped on and whistle low at the bite mark. “It’s healing pretty quick. Must have good genes.” He attempted a joke and she granted him a weak laugh. “You alright there with this guy?”

“Fine, I can handle myself, you know.” Rey said.

  
“Don’t doubt that.” He added. “You’re good to go, aspirin will help, I can’t prescribe you anything but give it a day or two and you should be back to normal.” Snap redressed the wound with a fresh bandage and cleaned up after himself. Rey adjusted the material of her leggings over the bandage and moved the ankle experimentally. It still hurt and she could tell it wouldn’t hold her weight properly.

“Thanks, Snap.”

“Yeah, no problem.” He nodded.

“I’m just gonna go get my shoes if anyone asks.” Rey pointed to the stairs and headed up. As she ascended the stairs, taking care not to put weight on her bad leg, she glanced over at the photos hung on the wall. In the years past she had seen them hundreds of times but hadn’t really looked.

  
Maz was in most of them, looking younger and happier than present times. The black and white photos didn’t do justice to her olive skin and dark hair, her dark eyes glinting at the camera like she could peer through it and into the eyes of the photographer. Rey knew the feeling and wondered if they had too. Next to Maz was a man at least a foot and a half taller than her, his hair long with a full beard. He was dressed in flannel and jeans, a smile on his face. Maz had never mentioned a husband, though occasionally she’d refer to someone named Charles. 

“My husband.” Rey turned to find Maz at the foot of the stairs. “He was a quiet sort of man, good heart, maybe a bit of a temper.” She smiled softly as she took in each picture. “We met at the diner, my parents owned it once upon a time, I’d been waitressing there since I was old enough to hold a tray. Charles had come through one day talking about buying some land and I pointed out this place.” Maz took Rey by the elbow and helped her to the bathroom. “He came back every week for three months until he got up the courage to ask me out on a date. Two weeks later we were married.” 

  
“Oh.” Rey breathed. 

“Times were different then, people didn’t fall in and out of love so fast, but we knew it was meant to be.” Maz waved her hand. “We were happy here. I worked at the diner when needed and he farmed the land. We had sheep and a few cows. Nothing big, but it paid our bills. I wanted a big family, so did he but that...just wasn’t in the cards.” Rey bit her lip, willing Maz to go on. “One night we were at home and there was something scaring the flock so he went out to check. He didn’t come back in and I found him bleeding on the grass, his throat nearly torn out. I thought he was dead.”    
  
“Oh, Maz,” Rey started but Maz shushed her.

“He survived it somehow, a miracle we thought but the first full moon told us otherwise. He turned and became unhinged, ran through the woods until there wasn’t a farm or house that hadn’t been hurt. Police were starting to go on a hunt and I feared they’d kill him.” Maz looked over at Rey. “He was miserable. Finally, he admitted he didn’t want to live like this anymore, he wanted to be free.”

“He was a werewolf.” Rey gasped.

“When you showed up I was afraid it would be that way all over again, I’d have to-”

“What happened to Charles?” Rey pressed.

“He managed to keep it in check but he paid the price for it. Wouldn’t stay in the house, so we bought the trailer. He wouldn’t sleep next to me anymore, afraid he’d hurt me too. Charles wasted away until he finally was all but dead.” Maz glanced over at her. “The night before his last, we talked and agreed, he begged me to let him go. When he shifted I called Snap and he helped. We buried Charles in the woods not too far away and that was that.” 

“Nobody went looking for him?”

“No.” Maz shook her head. “I reported him missing on a hunting trip three days later. He was presumed dead.” 

“What’s this got to do with me?” Rey didn’t mean to sound harsh. 

“When you showed up in the woods, I feared you would suffer the same fate. I know better,  _ know you better  _ now, but I was determined to help you live.” Maz told her. “There are different ways to stop living, Rey. If you stay here you’ll always wonder, never moving on.” Rey blinked and swallowed hard, shaking her head still fighting that instinct to flee.

“Who’s gonna keep an eye on you, then?” she teased, hoping to deflect the sadness with humor.

“Idiot girl, I’ll be fine.” Maz sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “Get your boots and go pack. I’ll be alright.” Rey nodded and they made their way back downstairs, Snap had repacked his kit and was sipping a cup of coffee.

“Hope you don’t mind,” he said ruefully. Rey saw him differently, not the surly vet that complained about too many vegetables in his salad but a man who buried a heart beneath the facade. 

“You’re welcome to it.” Maz waved him off. Rey took a seat at the table and pulled her shoes on. There was a steady rasp and thud as Ben stood outside chopping wood. “He’ll be done soon enough,” the old woman commented as Rey’s eyes drifted to the door. 

“Mind giving me a hand in the trailer?” she asked once her shoes were tied. Maz nodded.

  
“Can you see yourself out, Snap?”

“You bet, I’m off too.” He finished his coffee in one gulp and followed them out the door. Rey passed by Ben and looked at him a moment. He’d pulled off his shirt and tossed it to one side. He steadied a log on a much larger stump and then lifted the axe, swinging it down in one fluid motion. The power behind the action had Rey’s eyebrows lifting. Snap and Maz spoke a moment while she watched. Ben turned to grab another log and caught sight of her. She managed a wave with her free hand, belongings tucked under her arm.

“All good?” he asked.

“Snap says it should be fine in a couple of days.” She turned for a moment, taking a step toward the trailer before stopping. “I’m going to go pack,” Rey added, looking back at him and Ben smirked. “Don’t get cocky, I’m not doing it for you.” She spun on her heel, just catching the determined glint in his eyes. Maz’s story has pushed her to agree, she told herself, nothing else.

Maz reached the trailer before she did, Rey arrived to find half her things packed. It wasn’t much, mostly clothes and a pair of boots to go with. “This took less time than I thought.” Maz frowned.

“Not much here.” Rey shrugged. She moved to the mattress and reached under it, pulling out a wad of cash. “Had this stashed for a rainy day. Consider it rent for the trailer.” She handed it to Maz, who arched a lazy eyebrow.

“Keep it.”

“Give it to Kaydel, help her get out of that shit hole of an apartment,” Rey countered.

  
With a chuckle, Maz agreed. “Deal.”

“Tell her goodbye for me?” Rey asked. The reality of leaving the only home she remembered now settling in. 

  
“Of course,” Maz assured her, pulling Rey into a rare hug. There was a light knock on the door and Rey turned to find Ben on the other side. “She’s almost ready, Fido, give her a minute.” Ben narrowed her eyes at the woman but walked off toward his truck. 

“I’ll call you when I’m wherever it is we’re going,” Rey promised. “You call me if you need help, if they come back.” She looked at Maz sternly. “Ok?”

“Bah!” Maz made a noise of protest. “We’ll be fine. Get out of here while you’ve still got good light.” She picked up the duffel bag of Rey’s meager belongings and handed it to the young woman. Rey took it from her, swallowing hard in an effort not to cry. Maz glanced at the hook where the leather jacket hung, ready and waiting for Rey. Lifting it gingerly, the old woman shook off the dirt and pulled it around Rey’s shoulders like a cloak. The gesture, while simple weighed heavy in Rey’s heart, Maz wasn’t her anchor anymore. “Have a good life, Rey Niima.”

“You too, Maz Kanata.” Rey turned and bolted from the trailer, wiping furiously at tears that spilled down her cheeks. She stopped at the sight of her Mustang and then at Ben. “What about her?”

“The Mustang?” Ben grimaced and walked over to it. “Let me make some calls. Can you leave the keys with Maz?” 

  
“Give them here, I’ll hide it in the barn.” Maz said. Rey wasn’t thrilled but couldn’t find a reason to disagree. 

  
“Finn,” Ben’s voice startled both of them. “Yeah, no...hold on.” He sighed, taking a deep calming breath. “I need you and Poe to get a rental car, drive down to Jakku...Yes…” He looked over to Rey who frowned. “Not yet.”

Fishing into the pocket of her coat, Rey pulled out the keys and handed them to Maz. Without another word Rey climbed into the truck, tossing her bag into the back of the cab. She closed her eyes and listened to the driver’s side door open and close, the engine roar to life. After a moment the truck pulled away onto the road. She couldn’t bring herself to look back, to watch Maz standing alone. 

Rey was facing her past and her future all at once and it was terrifying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning!!!
> 
> Please be mindful that this chapter deals with some heavy topics:
> 
> Blood  
> Animal Violence  
> Depression  
> Euthanasia / Assisted Suicide  
> Marital Strife (as a result of external sources)  
> Sedation
> 
> If you find any of these subjects upsetting I would ask that you proceed with caution.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! 
> 
> Another big thank you to my beta Anonachaplin! 
> 
> I appreciate all of your comments and kudos. If I have missed any tags, please feel free to let me know and I will update. 
> 
> If you'd like to get updates on this and other fics I'm on Twitter as @moonstreet6


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